Come Out Alive: The 174th Hunger Games
by DustyStroodle228
Summary: Another dreadful year of the Hunger Games. The districts must once again submit one male and one female to fight to the death in the annual reminder of the terrible rebellion. Head Gamemaker Phineas Barnum has been running these games for 7 years and he knows how to keep the tributes on their toes. SYOT Open Disclaimer:I do not own the Hunger Games


**Head Gamemaker: Phineas Barnum **

Darkness quickly comes to the Capitol as the sun sets signaling another day ending. As the orange and red hues of the sun fade away the bright building lights flick on. Every workplace swaps their open signs for closed ones and their workers arrive home to their loving families after a hard day's work. Sleepy children rush to greet their parent as they walk in the door, begging for a story or snack before bedtime. It seems that everyone in the Capitol is at home resting on this beautiful night, everyone that is except for the Hunger Games' head gamemaker. Hunching over his brown mahogany desk Phineas Barnum racks his brain for something he can call an idea. At the moment it seems impossible to think that any light bulb will switch on in his head.

Phineas has been the head gamemaker for the past seven years, which is a long time for such a position. He started off strong; the 167th Games were quite the success for his first year. The only problem with that was everyone expected so much more of him each year since. Tabloids surround him each day on his way to work trying to be the first to get the scoop on the newest arena or simply to find a flaw to enhance. And each year the tabloids remind him just how expendable he really is. There are people willing to go into the Games themselves for a chance to do what Phineas does. If only they knew how hard his job really was, and how dangerous. One bad year and it's not just a job that is lost. Seeing the picture sitting on his desk of his late wife, Gisele is a harsh reminder of this. It's been three years since her passing, the 171st Games, the year of the screw up. Well, it wasn't exactly a terrible year, just not to the President's standards.

The President always had very high expectations for the Games and meeting them is never an easy accomplishment. Phineas stares at the blank piece of paper in front of him, not even a title adorns the page. _"This year better be good Phineas." _ The President's words whisper in the back of his mind. _"It'll be your head Phineas." _The worst part about the threat is that Phineas isn't worried about his own head. Phineas glances at the picture sitting on his desk once more before staring at his paper. There has to be something he can think of. He already told all of the other gamemakers that there would be a meeting tomorrow morning and he couldn't show up empty handed. It's not uncommon for the President to make an appearance. Phineas taps his pencil against the desk in a annoyed rage. "_Stupid pencil," _he thought, "_Why can't you just come up with ideas on your own? What good are you?" _Filled with anger Phineas angrily crumples up the blank paper and chucks it into the fireplace behind him. A small puff of ash rises from the impact and dusts the floor. This night could not possibly become more stressful.

_Brrrriiiinnngg. Brrrriiinnng. _The phone rings beside him. _"What now?"_ Phineas sighs as he answers the noisy nuisance. "Phineas Barnum, Head Gamemaker. Why are you calling at this ungodly hour?" He snaps at the person on the other line. He prayed that it wasn't some adolescence prank or something of the sorts. He definitely wasn't in the mood to deal with jokes. During office hours his secretary, Darlene, would answer the phone first before forwarding the important callers to Phineas. However, since she was at home all calls went directly to him.

"Phineas, it's Aldous," says the other line. Aldous Cadwell is Phineas' right hand man. They went to school together and were both offered jobs around the same time. Phineas would even go as far to say that they were friends.

"Ah Aldous, and to what do I owe the pleasure of your call at this late hour? At the office no less." Phineas' voice dripped with sarcasm. He made himself comfortable by plopping his feet on top of his desk. If Phineas knew Aldous at all he knew that this would take awhile. Aldous never calls without a seemingly important reason.

"Phineas, I need you to tell me that you have at least a vague idea about the Games this year." Ah yes, the Games. Phineas anxiously bounces his foot, not knowing how to respond to his friend. Taking the silence as an answer, Aldous assumes the worst. "This is what I was afraid of. Phineas you do know that there's a meeting tomorrow morning right?"

"Of course I know, Aldous, I'm the one who scheduled it," he rolled his eyes even though he knew Aldous couldn't see him. "And don't you worry. I always come up with something spectacular, you know that."

"Yes, yes I know, but the problem is you're still the same indecisive chap I knew in school. Phineas, I can't afford another 171st." Phineas winces at the sound of the horrid number. Did Aldous think he was an idiot? He knew the expectations and punishments better than anyone.

"You think I don't know that? What do you take me for?" He practically shouts. "But you know that-"

"I know, the Quell," Aldous cuts him off. Both of the men know that this year still has to be up to par but it's also common knowledge that everything that happens this year is merely a prelude to the Quarter Quell next year. Every successful event that happens during this year's Games will have to be repeated in triplicate for the Quell, and being Phineas' first one, saying he was nervous was an understatement. "I'm just afraid that you'll be too focused on next year to remember that this year has to happen first. You need to understand that all of Panem is counting on us. Hell, I'm counting on us. I have a family you know. This needs to be good Phineas!" Phineas' blood boils.

"You're not the only one who relies on these Games Aldous! I will come up with something. I _always_ come up with something." Phineas screams into the phone, "You just need to remember who you're talking to. You may be my friend but I am still your superior! You have no right to tell me what lies on the line right now and-"The sound of a creaking door stops Phineas in his tracks. Great first the phone call and now someone is bothering him in his office. He takes his feet off of the desk and spins around in his chair until he faces the intruder.

"Who do you think you are coming in-"Phineas cut himself off as soon as he saw who was at the door. "Aldous, I'll have to call you back." He could still hear the angry Aldous on the other line but suddenly that didn't matter at all.

"Papa," a small voice squeaked from the doorway. Phineas opens his arms out wide and his little girl came sprinting to him.

"Elinora , my dear, what are you doing here?" He asks his daughter, wrapping her into a hug.

"I missed you Papa. I haven't seen you in so long." It was true. Phineas was so busy with the Games that he often times never saw his daughter. He left before she woke up and came home long after she fell asleep. The first and last three months before the new Games were his busiest times and even between that his days were filled with meetings and parties. There was hardly any time to see his little girl. With Gisele gone, she was all he had left. Little Elinora was the only reason Phineas still put all his effort into the Hunger Games-the only reason why he still works for the President and puts up with all the stress. He couldn't lose her too.

Phineas glances down at his daughter. Everything from her big green eyes to her dimpled smile reminds him of Gisele. This little girl represents all the happiness and faith that is left in Phineas' life. If anything were to happen to her there would be no purpose to his life. For a moment Phineas simply sits and held Elinora. He rests his head against her long blond hair and enjoys the calmness. After sitting for a moment Phineas came to a sudden realization.

"Nora, how exactly did you get here?"he asks. There was no way such a young girl would have traveled all the way through the city by herself.

"Colette drove me!" she responds smiling. Then, as if on cue, a young girl with bright orange hair sticks her head in through the door.

"I am so sorry sir," she mumbles, nervously glancing down at her twiddling thumbs. "But, you know, she is very persuasive. And she just loves you so much sir, and I-" Phineas cut her off.

"Yes, yes, it's quite alright Colette. But you know how busy I am. You're lucky that I was by myself and not with someone important."

"Yes, sir. I understand sir. I promise that it won't happen again...sir." Colette stutters, avoiding eye-contact. There was never a reason for her to be afraid of Phineas. He was never mean to Colette, stern perhaps, but never mean. It was the simple fact that he was the Head Gamemaker that frightened her.

"Are you still busy trying to think of a place for the Hunger Games Papa?" Nora asks innocently. She looked up at her father with curiosity in her emerald eyes. It's the same curiosity that would fill her mother's eyes. Just one more thing that made Phineas love her more.

Phineas sighed "Yes, Nora, I am and this year seems to be trickier than usual." He glances back down at the scrap paper covering his desk.

"Oh, am I distracting you?" Her eyes shot down, analyzing the floor. Phineas could see her bottom lip being to quiver. The poor child.

"No, of course not, it's alright. I'm done here anyway. How about I take you home?" Elinora smiles at her father before looking quizzically up at him.

"Papa, shouldn't you clean up first?" she asks.

"What do you mean?" Elinora points over toward the crunched up ball in the fireplace.

"There's ash everywhere. That is very messy." Phineas chuckles despite himself. His daughter was always the little neat freak. Another alikeness to her mother.

"Yes, yes, I suppose that ash isn't good for anyone is it." Phineas went over to scoop up the ash from the ground. As he attempts to brush up the ash into his hand it puffs up and causes him to sneeze.

"Bless you" Colette manages to squeak out. She has been trying to make herself scarce since she made herself known.

"Thanks" "_Bloody ash," _ He thinks, "_it's impossible to get rid of you isn't it? I bet all you just want to see me suffer." _And then it came to him…_ ash, Ash, ASH!_

"I've got it! I've got it!" Phineas exclaims. He jumps up and lifts Elinora up from the ground, spinning her in a circle. "You're brilliant, Nora! Simply brilliant!" Elinora giggles as Phineas sets her back on the ground. "Now, you're going to have to go home with Colette. I'll be home in a few hours. Then I promise I'll read you two bedtime stories." Elinora frowns for a moment before accepting his promise.

"I'll be waiting, Papa." She mumbles, walking out the door. "I'll be waiting." Phineas pulls out a clean sheet of paper and begins scribbling down ideas. _This is for your Nora. I'll make it up to you someday. I promise. _

**! #$%^&*()_+**

**And that was the first chapter of the 174****th**** Hunger Games! I hope you all liked it. This is an SYOT so I encourage you to submit tributes. Rules, Regulations, and the Tribute Form can be found on my profile page. Constructive criticism is welcome. Reviews warm my heart. **

**Also…**

** What do you think of Phineas? His relationship with Elinora? Aldous? Colette? Gisele?**

** Any ideas to what the arena is? **

**XxXDusty **


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